Administration Rolls the Dice on a Pocket Recission

Last week, the White House notified Congress of the President’s intent to rescind $4.9 billion in funds appropriated for foreign aid.  The legality of this “pocket recission” is untested. The move has outraged Democrats and raises concerns among some Republicans regarding executive branch encroachment on Congress’s power of the purse. It complicates negotiations on appropriations and significantly increases the odds of a government shutdown at the end of the month.